Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014)
The IMAX feature "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" brings together writer/producer Drew Fellman and director David Douglas, the same duo that brought you the 2011 IMAX 3D feature "Born to Be Wild." (Douglas was the cinematographer on their previous effort). Fellman sat down with The Film Yap to tell us about the film and the filmmaking process.
Prior to watching "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar," the only experience that I’d had with lemurs was DreamWorks' 2005 animated movie "Madagascar," where the lemurs were depicted as the hilarious, dancing/singing kings of the forest. There is much more to these primates than one would suspect, although they are still pretty cute and funny. According to Fellman, the guiding principle in making this film was that he wanted people to feel the joy of seeing lemurs. He said that, "It is something that people can truly experience only through watching and observing."
In a story that seems to be stranger than fiction, the film opens up by explaining the extraordinary history of the lemurs: After an asteroid — the one that wiped out the dinosaurs — hit the Earth, lemurs survived by floating from Africa to their sanctuary on the island of Madagascar. Millions of years later, this is the area they still inhabit.
Fellman said that they spent over four months filming on the island of Madagascar, following more than a year of research and interviews with scientists and those familiar with the story of the lemurs. The film crew consisted of 15 people, however some shots employed the use of native islanders who assisted in accessing the more remote areas of the island. Some shots took 60 to 100 people to set up, but the final product pays off stunningly in the IMAX format with some truly awe-inspiring camera angles.
The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman, who also worked with Fellman and Douglas on "Born to be Wild." You can’t go wrong with the voice of God. (I’m not being blasphemous, simply referencing his role as God in 2003’s "Bruce Almighty.") Fellman said, "It was amazing hearing [Freeman's] emotion and seeing the script come to life."
The heart of the story deals with the destruction of the lemurs’ natural habitat. Over the past 2000 years, the people of Madagascar have used a farming technique called "slash-and-burn agriculture," which involves a process of cutting and burning trees and plants in order to create fields. Consequently, the lemurs’ natural habitat is being destroyed, and throughout the years, almost 90% of their habitat has been destroyed.
This film is one everyone in the family can appreciate, and one that should be experienced in an IMAX theater. The only other time I’ve given this recommendation was when I suggested that people go and see 2013’s "Gravity" in theaters, in 3D.
"Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" is a chance to see these incredible, charismatic animals in an experience unlike any other on this planet, literally. It’s opening this Friday, April 4, exclusively at the Indiana State Museum IMAX Theater.
3.5/5 Yaps
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1_1KISzKOA&w=560&h=315]